Influence of right atrial stretch on plasma renin activity in the conscious rat

Rats were prepared with inflatable balloons at the superior vena cava – right atrium junction. After recovery 1 week later, when blood was taken from conscious, normovolaemic animals plasma renin activity was found not to be influenced by right atrial stretch. Plasma renin activity was then measured in rats in which an extracellular fluid deficit had been produced by peritoneal dialysis against a hyperoncotic, isotonic solution. Although basal plasma renin activity was elevated (6.8 ± 0.9 from 1.5 ± 0.2 ng∙mL∙h, n = 19), no depression was observed in the experimental group after 15 or 90 min of balloon inflation. In rats pretreated with isoprenaline (10 μg/kg body wt.) plasma renin activity was also increased over basal levels, but again balloon inflation caused no reduction in plasma renin activity. It would appear that right atrial stretch has little, if any, influence on renin release in the conscious rat.